


A Home of Deception

by DarkButtPumpkin



Category: Dwarf Fortress
Genre: Adventure, Blood and Gore, Fighting, Other, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 19:37:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11835615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkButtPumpkin/pseuds/DarkButtPumpkin
Summary: A story of one dwarf's daughter going back to her home fort to reclaim her families honor and find an item lost in time but not from memory. Here lays her journal detailing the venture to an abandoned fortress that is only whispered as Blood Knees.





	A Home of Deception

**Day 1**

I am Gwenith Lockheart. The only daughter of the Captain of the Guard from the former fortress Blood Knees. As of writing this I have already planned and gathered all of the gear and companions I need to make the journey to my long forgotten home. While everyone in my home knows of my goal to help reclaim the honor of my family and hopefully the fort which does have truth in the matter, it feels like I have long forgotten something back in the fortress like a child losing a toy. I can not think of what this might be but I must search.

Most oppose me going but I ignore them. None of them have ever been inside that fort, the only dwarf left who has been there is my mother and she just stays silent whenever the conversation drifts back to me leaving to the fort. Surely those who say she is hiding something are nothing more than paranoid.

If it is not me, someone far less capable will end up getting themselves and anyone who goes with them killed. I have spent countless moons training and planning for this. They doubt me now but I will ensure I return with pride on my side and honor gleaming over me.

For anyone who reads this, our once mighty home Blood Knees was overun by a demon and goblin siege. Most have forgotten the demons name and appearance but many dwarfs warn of a dwarf who resided in the fort that caused the fall. This is surely a tale meant to scare off anyone who wishes to go back to the fort or prevent looters who wish to seek its treasures that may remain. No one aside from my mother are the only original dwarf from the fort. I was born during the collapse but my mother refuses to tell me anything in detail.

The plan is to head south west through the Boiling Dunes and through the Weeping Breeze Forest. If we get there with enough supplies and we most likely will, we can skip the forest and go through a small mountain range and get into the fort from there. A simple plan I pride myself in.

The party that accompanies me is not what I hoped to be, far from it but I don't quite see it as a disadvantage. Four people, two of which I know quite well. Bilith the hillsides strongest hammerman. Florae our marksmen and hunter. Both are some of the closest friends I hold dear but they are not what I would called skilled per-say. Along them are two human mercs that joined us for the sake of taking loot. Of course the humans wish to loot our sacred home those filthy rats. Even so we need the doctor and swordsmen. 

Our food and water supplies should be more than enough as we make our journey. I would be a liar if I said that my mind is filling with some doubt but I may be overthinking. A leader never overthinks, they are certain in their decisions. They must be.

 

** Day 2 **

Nothing much to report on however the swordsman (who's name is Philly apparently, what a horrid name..) has been acting strange. Very shaky.

 

**Day 3**

We are reaching the border of the Boiling dunes within three days. I wish we could have left before summer arrives but it is something unavoidable due to when gear and food arrived. Damn traders are always late or too early.

**Day 6**

I knew it! I fucking knew it! I knew that Philly was up to something! We fell prey to an ambush a day ago. While the bandits were not too much of a problem, I split the skull of one and gutted another one. That's not including Philly. During the battle he swung his sword at me, almost hitting my neck the fucker. Bilith and the other human are trying to imply that I made up the excuse during the fight to kill him since no one saw his actions but myself. I cant believe Bilith would even dare consider the thought. Only the best should have joined and I made sure of that.

I took Philly's short sword after the battle, he didn't deserve it. The blade is curved like a hand scythe but the tip is bent downward with a sharp point. Quite the exotic blade that should prove useful in the future. Far sharper than my current blade.

**Day 7**

 We have no reached the border of the desert. I forgot to write down that we had to stop for a day due to some of us being wounded and have to re-organize our gear since we are down one member. They didn't seem to appreciate the hard work to make sure that we don't starve or die from dehydration. Doubt is flooding my mind again but not at the goal but in my members.

The dune ridden desert is massive. They spread to the edge of the horizon and probably further. For as daunting as this place appears, the beauty of the sand being blown off the dunes is breath taking. I can only imagine what the mountain tops will be like.

If we don't slow down we should reach the forest/mountain range in a few days.

**Day 8**

Our first day here was definitely interesting. We saw many wild life like soaring buzzards that tried to peck us, many scorpions, some bark scorpion people who are surprisingly short. Half the size of us but probably a bit shorter. However we sorta made a mistake.

Those scorpion folk were surprisingly decently geared which should have been our first warning sign. The human doctor got to close to one of them before they lunged at him to slit his throat with their rusted blade. We were out numbered by one but we still won the fight. Florea made quick work of them at range with her short bow. Bilith got to slam some skulls while I wrestle the one off the doctor. The damn scorpion man bite my arm pretty badly but the Doc said it should heal quickly.

After the fight we continued on but I couldn't help but notice something in the sky near the horizon behind us. Something very large that was the size between an adult deer and polar bear. It's features, while hard to see, gave me the impression it was some sort of buzzard. I decided to not mention it to the group due to how far it was away from us and I didn't want to add more stress to the party.

**Day 11**

The rest of our time spent was quite uneventful. Bilith decided to pick up loose sandstone and make an amulet. The amulet had a picture engraved into it of a dwarf drinking from an oasis. Quite a pretty picture surprisingly. I never expected him to be such an artiest. I need to hang out with my friends once I return, I have neglected them for far too long.

I wish that was the only notable thing I had to write but it seems my choice to not mention the giant buzzard was a mistake. Near the end of today the buzzard came closer and closer before Florea began to fire. The buzzard put up a good fight for a mere scavenger. It gave a good peeking to me and Florea. We are lucky none of our bones were broken since the force the buzzard used was very powerful. Not as powerful as some warriors but still powerful. I got a few slashes in before the creature died of blood lose. 

We got some more meat which will be useful in the short term if we don't cook them. Sadly I am upset at our doc. He didn't even bother firing his crossbow at the buzzard. My suspicion towards the Doc has grown like it had for Philly. I am sure my friends can sense my feelings as it is hard for me to hide my emotions. Truly my only weakness.

**Day 15**

Our party has reached a fork in the road. We can spend the extra time going through the forest which is safer but more time consuming. However the mountains would allow for a far faster route to the fort. My companions are very much against going through the mountains do to our water supply being low. While true the ice can be melted to water anyway with fire. I do the math over and over but it always appears that we will be out of food by the time we reach the end of the forest. Florea insures that she can hunt for any food through there but I don't wish to take the chance. My math is never wrong and I don't take chances if I know that our chances are low. I know what is best for our party, I wish the rest could see this.

 

**Day 21**

We are crossing the mountain range currently. The walking up and down mountains is such a pain in my back. The dunes were bad enough but this is almost unbearable. I want to complain but a leader should never complain to their followers. That would show weakness and my authority can not be challenged or we may be doomed to fail.

Did I mention that its really cold and dull up here? There has been nothing to fight or kill which is fine but adding cold and a dull area are not a good mix.

Bilth has taken some lose stone and made an amulet with a Mantis devouring a dwarf. No clue why he made such a morbid thing. Kinda freaked me out.

**Day 22**

Nothing to note but after re-reading my logs, I am beginning to see why my mother says I am like my father. I take great pride in this but the way she would say how I am like my father was never in a good light. Just thinking about how she spoke of him makes me full of disgust. A leader should be strong and decisive while being effective for the group and ensuring the group is effective. Exactly what my father was from what I hear.

 

**Day 24**

We are within a half a day's reach of the fort. I can just see it now. The gates built inside the smallest mountain appear rusted. Outside the fort lays a many weapons, armor, and bones of the dead. While the image does instill some fear even in me, it feels like coming home after a long travel. Add the smell of some freshly brewed Plump Helmet booze and I would have forgotten the horrible tragedy of this place.

Speaking of which our party has become low on booze and some of us have started to get more cranky. The Doc likes to chim in about how he doesn't need to drink alcohol. It became incredibly annoying to all three of us. Hopefully the fort has booze stored somewhere before any looters may have came to claim any goods.

 

**Day 25**

This place is far worse than I thought. The walk toward the fort was beyond creepy. Never have I seen so many dead dwarfs and goblins and the remnants of siege weapons. Whatever ended this fort is beyond powerful. I only hope that whatever caused the end has now moved on. 

The rooms on the first floor are errie to look through. Many items, most personal, were just abandoned. Bones of some riddle the hallways and even some rooms.

We found a pair of doors that seemed to be blocked off but found another way in. It was a large dormitory and what we saw was something no dwarf, or any person should have to see. The first thing we are doing tomorrow is burying the dead before we go further. 

 

**Day 27**

A lot has happened within two days. I haven't written due to fear of what lays in this fort. While we were able to bury some bodies after the first day with no problem, the next day is where the problems began to arise. Not only did we all start to feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Doc began to act strange early in the morning as he and Bilith went to explore further. Bilith returned badly wounded with Doc's blood on his hands. He claimed that Doc attacked him but I am not sure if I believed him. We tried to exit the fort to set up camp outside rather than inside but we can not leave. We tried to but we just couldn't.

What blocked our path was something I have never seen or heard of. A tall mantis covered in red thin hair stared us down, saying our names as vomit would fall from its mouth, staining the floor below. "I am Eleborth, You are in my nest and you are now my prey!" screamed the demon.

Florea muttered "uthgur" the dwarven word for Demon. I think out of all of us, she was the most shocked seeing that it took her a few seconds before she fired her bow at the creature.

Bilith did his best to fight the creature who was the size of a giant but not as large as a titan. Within moments I noticed the demon's scorpion like tail that pierced the chest of Bilith. Within a few minutes his skin began to turn green and vomited blood all over the floor.

Me and Florea became badly wounded during the short lived fight and went deeper into the fort. I am unsure if Bilith was alive when we retreated but I hope he wasn't.

**Day ???**

I don't know whats happening anymore. I have lost Florea due to vengeful spirts leaving her crippled. I did my best to make sure the pain would be finally over.

**Day ???**

This was all my fault. I should have never left our new home. I should have just come alone. Everyone's death was all caused by my hands one way or another. Sleep is almost impossible to get but when I do the nightmares that plague my mind is torture. It's as if I relive the events during the fall of our once mighty home. The bloodshed from both goblins and demon and even fellow dwarfs strike fear into my heart.

Saying I am afraid is beyond an understatement. I don't know how much longer I will make it.

So many corpses of what looks like soldiers riddle these old hallways. Some covered in blood, others have their heads and parts of their body bashed apart. I cant believe what I see.

I keep seeing a ghost. What looks to be a dwarf woman who wields a cannonball in one hand. She looks like the dwarf in my dreams who helped murdered many dwarfs during the fall.

I have found the barracks deep below many floors from the surface. I believe to have found my fathers corpse. His body lays against a hallway wall with his skull bashed in. I know it is him from our family signia engraved on his chest plate.

The tale was true. Not even the strongest captain of the guard in this fort's history could take her down. 

I can not believe the stories were true. Damn you mother, why did you not say anything to tell me that the stories were true? You stayed silent while I planned the death of me and two of my closest friends. Curse you and I hope our family name is only remembered in disgust in your actions.

Why didn't he evacuate the whole fort and slaughter their way through the goblins? Clearly he had the troops to do so but he chose to stay and fight her and the demon. Why would he be so brash?

 

 

 

Death nears me, I can hear her footsteps. For anyone reading this, may you die in peace for I could not even find a way out.

They were right, I am just like my father. Foolish and brash.


End file.
